David Fincher did a lengthy interview with Collider, in which he mostly talked about The Social Network since he's on the promotional swing for it these days. But of more interest to science fiction fans is that Fincher talked briefly about Rendevous with Rama which (along with about three other projects) might be the next film he does. The story, based on a famed Arthur C. Clarke novel, has long been championed by both Fincher and Morgan Freeman.

Fincher had this to say:

It's a question of things lining up, I mean, you know Rendezvous With Rama is a great story that has an amazing role for Morgan Freeman who is an amazing actor and would be amazing in this thing. The question was can we get a script that's worthy of Morgan and can we get a script that is worthy of Arthur Clark and can we do all of that in an envelope that will allow the movie to take the kinds of chances that it wants to take. 'Cuz we want to make a movie where kids go out of the theatre and instead of buying an action figure they buy a telescope. That was the hope... So there have been people that have been interested in this idea and we have never been able to get a script. So the answer is, you know, is the story good enough, is the script the best telling of the story, is there an undeniable person to hang it on, is it technologically feasible. All those things come into play.

That line about wanting to make a science fiction film that makes kids leave the theater wanting a telescope instead of an action figure, that makes my nerd heart pitter patter. It's like the anti-Burton, who scoffed at the very notion of comic books as he filmed Batman, convincing every kid who had read Batman in print that this tool couldn't possibly have the slightest clue what the story was really about. Telescopes though? Fincher cuts right to the heart of science fiction with those few words. Wonder and awe, your soul soaring as your mind strains to comprehend the universe.

And hey, it's not like it could be as bad as his first science fiction film, right?